By Brendan McAleer

Originally published: April 17, 2014

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

That’s not a knoife – that’s a car.

Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee hasn’t shelled Subarus for a while, but the name for the jacked-up version of their station wagons and hatchbacks – the Outback – stuck like Vegemite. While the enthusiast market immediately shouts “WRX!” when they see the blue badge emblazoned with the stars of Pleiades, outoorsy types think of a Forester or Outback.

New for 2015, Subaru’s releasing the latest edition of their go-anywhere wagon; friend to dog and GoreTex wearer alike, it’s the all-new Outback. You’ll note that it’s not a radical change: the new car is only slightly wider and slightly longer, but remains the same overall height.

As it’s roughly based on the Legacy platform, the Outback receives all the upgrades fitted earlier this year to Subaru’s mid-sizer. Power comes from a 2.5L flat-four making 175 horsepower and 174 lb.-ft. of torque, or a 3.6L flat-six engine making 256 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft of torque. Like the Legacy, a CVT is now the only automatic transmission offered, though the tranny mounted to the larger six-cylinder engine is a high torque variant. A six-speed manual is still available for the 2.5L flat-four.

2015 Subaru Outback interiorHandout, Subaru

The CVT and some small aerodynamic tweaks enhance the Outback’s fuel economy, a move that will surely please those who use their Subarus to trek into the wilderness. Other minor changes include new sliding integrated roof bars that can spread out to accommodate a canoe or contract to support a whitewater kayak. Inside, the Outback gets the same interior upgrades that the Legacy received, albeit with a more rugged focus. Much improvement has been made in the area of in-cabin noise levels, with acoustic glass in the windshield and uprated amounts of sound insulation throughout.

Safety-wise, the Outback slots right into Subaru’s high-scoring lineup and adds a third-generation of the company’s Eyesight camera-based driver’s aids. This time the cameras can actually see in colour, meaning that brake lights up ahead send it into a “ready” mode to cut down on emergency stop times. Cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring are also available.